Dickson, Sylva on warpath over security, criminality

Bayelsa State Governor Seriake Dickson and a former governor of the state, Chief Timipre Sylva, are locked in a war of words over alleged encouragement of criminal activities in the state.

Dickson on Sunday faulted the former governor (Sylva) over a claim by the Timipre Silva Media Office accusing him of a plot to orchestrate a campaign of calumny against him, describing it as a futile attempt to distract his government.

The governor in a statement by his Special Adviser on Public Affairs, Mr. Daniel Alabrah, said he was too busy with the execution of the mandate given to him by the people of Bayelsa to take issues with politicians who had allegedly failed Bayelsa and the Ijaw nation.

He advised Sylva to stop using the name of the President, Muhammadu Buhari, to cover up his alleged criminal activities in Bayelsa.

Dickson said that Sylva, being in the ruling All Progressives Congress, should not be a licence for him to sponsor criminal activities to the detriment of peace and security in the state.

He called on the security agencies to be firm in the performance of their statutory responsibility and not to allow unscrupulous politicians to take advantage of them.

He also called on the security agencies to ensure the security of lives and property in the state.

The Governor said that since Sylva became a member of the APC, the party had allegedly become a gang of cultists, hooligans and criminals.

Dickson said that Sylva should be concerned that Brass, his local government area, had become a den of criminals, warning that he would not hesitate to invoke the powers of the law against anybody found to be involved in acts harmful to the security of the state.

The governor stressed that he had a duty to protect lives and property in Bayelsa, alleging that Sylva was only out to create the false impression that he was a factor in Bayelsa politics which was untrue.

The governor challenged Sylva to give attention to his dwindling political reputation rather than peddle falsity to misinform people.

The statement added that Sylva who sought to be governor twice and was twice was rejected by Bayelsans couldn’t have been pulled down by Dickson because he is already down.

Dickson said that the government would not hesitate to invoke the powers of the law against anybody found to have indulged in acts that consistently threaten the peace and security of the state.

The governor said, “This is a government that has a mandate to execute on behalf of the Bayelsa people. We cannot afford to be distracted by falsehood emanating from Sylva and his men.